INJURED – 30 October 2012 – North Jetty, Humboldt , Eureka, California, USA – surfer bitten

Scott Stevens’ board showing the chunk bitten out of it by a shark. Stevens suffered lacerations to his left torso.

Scott Stevens, 25, suffered serious wounds to his left torso from a shark bite while he was surfing at North Jetty, Humboldt, Eureka, California, United States. The shark is thought to be a great white.

The incident occured on Tuesday 30 October 2012.

He said he was catching waves about 150 metres from fellow surfers at Bunkers, a popular surf spot near Humboldt Bay.

The shark dragged him under the water and shook him around a bit. Stevens then punched the shark several times in the head, which made it release its grip and swim away. He managed to retrieve his board and paddle back to shore, where other surfers helped stem the bleeding and wave down a truck which took him to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to stitch the wounds.

Stevens told the Lost Coast Outpost in a podcast interview:

“I went in the water for a surf about 10am. I had just caught a wave and was paddling back out when the shark came out of nowhere. It grabbed my torso from behind and dragged me underwater and shook me a couple of times.

“I opened my eyes underwater and saw the shark grabbing onto me. I punched it a couple of times in the head and it released me and swam off.

“I recovered my board (the shark had severed the leash)  and managed to paddle to shore on my own.”

Scott Stevens shows where he was bitten by a shark.

He was shouting for help.

“The support of other surfers was amazing. They waved down a truck which took me to hospital. And they put pressure on the wound the whole time to stop bleeding.” One of the surfers actually lay across his torso to put pressure on the wound and stem the bleeding.

He told the Times Standard that when he opened his eyes under water he saw a lot of blood.

“When I reached the beach, I realised how injured I was and how much blood I was losing.”

“I was in shock. I really didn’t feel much, didn’t feel too much pain, until I woke up this morning,” he said.

He said from the time of attack to ER it took about 20 minutes – “An amazing response which helped a lot.”

”Those guys are heroes,” he said.

He said he received lacerations from the top of hip to his upper chest. The surgeon who stitched up the wounds said there were seven to eight deep lacerations, but fortunately the shark did not open the chest cavity and damage any internal organs.

“At the moment it happened I was truly scared for my life. I didn’t know if I was going to make it or not.

“Now I am a little bummed that my surfboard is damaged,” he said from his hospital bed at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, California.

Sources:
Lost Coast Outpost – podcast interview
Times Standard
Digital Journal

PIC Source:
Times Standard
Businesswire

INJURED — 16 September 2012 — Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA — surfer bitten

A 52-year-old surfer (not identified) was bitten by a shark on the feet while surfing off Cocoa Beach,Florida, USA.

A very brief report says the incident happened about 4 pm on Sunday 16 September 2012. It added he suffered lacerations on both feet but managed to get to shore.

No other details were reported.

Sources:

Orlando Sentinel

INJURED – 8 September 2012 – 22nd Street, South Beach, Miami, USA – swimmer bitten

Miami Beach

A swimmer (not identified) was bitten on the right knee while swimming in waters off 22^nd Street, South Beach, Miami, Florida, USA.

He was treated at Florida’s Ryder Trauma Center.

A doctor at the centre said it was a “pretty significant bite. It went most of the circumference around his calf”.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
KSDK

PIC Source:
Free Stock Photos

INJURED — 6 September 2012 – E Street, St. Augustine Beach, Florida, USA — surfer bitten

Paramedics treat Andrew Birchall foot after he was bitten by a shark while surfing at St Augustine Beach, Florida, US.

Andrew Birchall (age not reported) was bitten on the foot by a shark while surfing at E Street in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, USA. The incident happened around 11.30am on Thursday 6 September 2012.

Birchall told the press he had just “caught a good wave” and jumped in the water when the shark bit his foot. He was in shallow water and managed to rip his foot from the shark’s mouth. Surfers nearby helped him to shore.

“There was blood everywhere,” he said.

Paramedics took him to Flagler Hospital, where he underwent several hours of surgery to repair some torn tendons.

Surgeons found a shark tooth in the wound.

Birchall said he did not see the shark. It was not known what species it was.

Sources:
The St Augustine Record

PIC Source:
The St Augustine Record

INJURED – 15 August 2012 – Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States – swimmer bitten

A man (name not released) suffered minor lacerations to his leg from a shark bite while swimming near Gulf State Park Pier, Gulf Shores, Alabama. The incident happened around mid-morning Wednesday 15 August 2012. He was reportedly in waist deep water at the time of the attack.

He was treated at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley where he received stitches to close the wounds.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
WTVM
http://www.wtvm.com/story/19296987/shark-bites-swimmer-off-alabama-coast

FOX
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/19296254/man-bitten-while-swimming-in-gulf-shores

INJURED – 26 June 2012 — Juno Beach Pier, Jupiter, Florida, USA – swimmer attacked

Nickolaus Bieber is taken to hospital following a shark bite at Juno Beach, Florida, US.

Nickolaus Bieber, 6, was bitten on the thigh by shark while swimming in shallow water near Juno Beach Pier, Jupiter, Florida, USA. The incident happened on 26 June 2012.

A hospital spokesman said there was quite a large chunk bitten from the boy’s thigh.

“We’re guessing a shark, it’s a pretty big gash,” a bystander told 911 in an emergency call from the beach.

His mother pulled him out of the water after the bite. She wrapped a towel around the wound and a bystander called 911. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The boy told his mother he saw a shark thrashing, she told the press.

Nickolaus was reported to be recovering well following emergency surgery.

Source:
Huffington Post

PIC source:
WPTV

 

INJURED – 12 June 2012 – Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia – surfer bitten

Mike Higgins leaves Geelong Hospital after having his minor shark bite wound treated.

Mike Higgins, 42, was surfing with friends when he felt the shark brush against him in the water. It then bit his foot his foot and let go.

“It had a little bite then let go after a couple of seconds. I was pretty scared,” he told the press.

The incident took place around 10am on 12 June 2012 off Port Campbell on Victoria’s south east coast, Australia.

A friend took him to Geelong Hospital where he was treated for a small gash, and later discharged.

It was not reported what type of shark it was.

Sources:
7 News
Herald Sun

PIC source:
7 News

INJURED – 31 May 2012 – Avon, Outer Banks, North Carolina, United States – swimmer bitten

Megan Konkler’s shark bite wound after being stitched up.

Megan Konkler, 33, was bitten on the foot by a shark about 3 to four foot long. She was in shallow water at a beach in Avon, Outer Banks, North Carolina, United States, when the small shark latched onto her foot.

“It felt like 1,000 pounds, a huge weight, pressing down on my foot,” she is quoted as saying.

She pulled her foot from the shark’s mouth and managed to walk ashore, thinking she had lost some toes in the bite. She wrapped her heavily bleeding foot in a blanket.

The incident happened around 1.30pm on Thursday 31 May 2012.

She told the press: “I kept thinking, ‘Don’t pass out, just go, you can make it’.”

It wasn’t reported where she was taken for treatment, but reports said a doctor closed the wound with eight internal stitches, as well as 10 across the top of her foot and five on the bottom. She didn’t lose any toes.

A shark expert said the shark was probably a 3-4 foot blacktip, sharpnose, blacknose or spinner, which are common off the North Carolina coast at this time of year.

No other details were mentioned.

Sources:
Wavy.com
10TV
PilotOnline

PIC Source:
10TV

INJURED – 23 May 2012 — Jacksonville Beach, Florida, US — surfer bitten

Chad Renfro in hospital with bandaged foot after his shark bite wound was stitched up

Chad Renfro, 22, was bitten on the foot by what is believed to be either a 4-5 foot Bull or Lemon shark while surfing off south Jacksonville Beach, Florida in the United States.

He said he was paddling to catch a wave when he felt something bite into his left foot.

“Immediately I knew what it was, so I just paddled back in as fast as I could — caught the next wave in.” He hobbled ashore with blood going everywhere, he told media.

“I was sitting there and people kept looking at me.”

“I was trying to get someone to help me, and then one girl had walked over and I told her to call 911, and then I saw the lifeguards drive by, and so I just hollered for them and they came over.”

Renfro had two or three cuts on one foot and his ankle. The bite severed a nerve, ripped a tendon and took part of his bone. It took 85 stitches to close the wounds.

Renfro said once he’s healed, he will not be not afraid to get back in the water, saying: “Who gets attacked by a shark twice?”

Sources:
NewsJax
Action News Jax

PIC source:
Video still from…
Action News Jax

INJURED – 9 May 2012 – Vero Beach, Florida, US – swimmer bitten

Karin Ulrike Stei is treated by paramedics on Vero Beach after being bitten by shark

Karin Ulrike Stei, 47, suffered a serious wound on her left thigh after being bitten by a shark while swimming in waist-deep water about 30 metres from shore at Vero Beach in Florida, United States. The incident happened around 11.30am on Wednesday, 9 May 2012.

According to press reports the shark bite left her with a 12-inch gaping hole in her thigh. It severed the femoral artery and exposed the bone. A pool of blood formed around her in the water.

A lifeguard helped bring Stei to shore.

Karin Ulrike Stei is treated by paramedics on Vero Beach after being bitten by shark

A witness to the shark attack, 58-year-old Dave Daniels heard Stei’s cry for help and dashed into the water to help her. He reached her as the lifeguard grabbed her and her leg came to the surface with the gaping wound.

“That is when I got scared. It was amazing the damage that was done.” He is quoted as saying.

He said he told her to keep her head in the water so she wouldn’t see the wound and possibly “begin flailing around”.

Fortunately a rescue helicopter was flying past the scene at the time and one of the flight paramedics noticed the blood in the water. She was airlifted to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce and underwent emergency surgery.

On Friday 11 May she was reported in a stable condition in intensive care. There was some speculation whether she would be able to keep her leg.

It was not known what type of shark was responsible for the bite wound.

Sources:
International Business Times
TC Palm

 

PIC Source:
Daily Mail